Graining apparatus



.181131, 1939. R SHAWy 2,145,320

GRAINING VAPPARATUS Filed Sept. 18, L936 Il',f1111111111111111111111111In n ArroRNE Patented `an. 3l', 1939 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEApplication September 18, 1936, Serial No. 101,378

5 Claims.l

This invention relates to the application of imitation wood graining tometal surfaces and has particular reference to pre-shaped sheet metalparts, such as the garnish mouldings `which form a part of the interiortrimmings around the windows and doors of automobiles.

The garnish mouldings for the windowsand doors of automobiles compriseframes of irregular outline and are ordinarily composed of sheet metalhaving an irregular cross section, the part of the frame which is to beexposed after assembly in the automobile usually 'being convex innature. Due to the convexity of the surface of such frames it hasheretofore been found necessary to treat the convex surface more thanonce in order that it may be completely covered with the imitation woodgraining. The method of applying the graining consisted in passing atransfer roll bearing the imitation graining around the frame as manytimes as was necessary to completely cover the convex surface thereof.This method has the disadvantage that it consumes an excessive amount oftime and also that the joining between successive passes or printsresults in a heavy line which must be touched out by hand. Furthermore,the different graining applications cannot be made to align the grainlines, with the result that an exact imitation of the wood grain cannotbe reproduced. e

The object of this invention is to provide for the application ofimitation wood graining to the entire convex surface, above referred to,by a single pass of the transfer roll around the frame, thus eliminatingthe necessity for more than one pass of the transfer roll, makingretouching operations unnecessary, and providing a more accurateimitation of the Wood graining.

An important object of the present invention is to provide a grainingroll having a soft, resilient core structure covered with a printersroll compound so that such compound when covered with ink from agraining plate will print the entire convex surface of a frame such asabove mentioned. To this end, the core structure is formed of spongerubber and a layer of the printers roll compound, which usuallyconsists-` mainly of glycerine and glue, is moulded thereon.

In passing a graining roll around a garnish frame it is necessary thatconsiderable pressure be placed thereon in order that it may becompressed to conform to the irregular or convex surface upon which thegraining is to be reproduced, and it is essential that during thisoperation the roll should revolve freely in order thatr the reproductionmay be printed accurately. es-

the present means, the

of the rolls apply grease to their hands, which obviously is unreliablein that the turning of the rolls in greased hands is subject to varyingfriction conditions. Accordingly it is another object of this inventionto providea roll of the character Lreferred to with handles supported byantifriction means. Such means makes it possible for the operator toexert the necessary pressure on the roll without creating a frictioncondition which opposes rotation of the rolls.

In order to properly print over the entire contour of the frame it isnecessary to start the printing operation at a Apoint therein and thenmovel the roll around the frame continuously until. the starting pointis reached. During such movement the angular relationship of the axis of,the roll with respect to ythe surface being printed should remainsubstantially constant and the rate of movement should be substantiallyuniform. With these conditions in view it is another object of thepresent invention to provide means for supporting the frame to betreated in an angular position, inclined at an angle away from theoperator, so that the` operator may conveniently place the desiredpressure thereon, withv such pressure being directed downwardly.Further, the means or fixture referred to permits the frame to revolve,withoutthe assistance of a helper, when the downwardly pressedloll ismoved horizontally by the operator. In other words, with ,operator hasonly to place the frame on the fixture and push the graining rollhorizontally while maintaining the downwardly directed pressure thereonand the frame will rotate freely due to the push'of the graining roll.'I'his latter feature is advantageous in that it eliminates thenecessity for a separate helperas is ordinarily required to rotate theframe while the grainer isI applying. the graining roll.

With lthe above and other ends in view the invention consists in mattershereinafter more par-l .ticularly set forth with reference to theaccompanying drawing, in which- Figure 1 is a perspective of the framesupporting fixture;

Fig. 2 is 'a transverse section of the fixture and a frame, illustratingthe proper relationship yof a.

graining roll with respect to the frame;

Fig. 3 is a perspective of a detail;

Fig. 4 is a section of the grain'ing roll, and y Fig. 5 is a verticalsection illustratinga the moulding of the rolls.

Like A characters of reference are employed .throughout to designatecorresponding parte.

Referring more particularly to Fig. 5, the graining roll shown thereincomprises a hollow shaft I, internally threaded at each end. In tlf:screwthreaded ends of the shaft are removably received handle spindles 2upon which` the handles 3 are supported by anti-friction`bearings 4. Onthe shaft I are a plurality of sponge rubber disks 5, each disk having aseries of perforations 6 therein to increase the resiliency thereof. Ateach end of the series of disks 5 is provided an imperforate spongerubber disk 1. The disks 5 and 'I are enclosed in a layer 8 of materialsuch as that composition of glycerine and glue from which printers rollsare formed.

The method of forming the rolls consists in providing a receptacleV 9 ofcylindrical form having an internal diameter the size of the desiredroll. The shaft I is inserted in the receptacle 9 with its endprojecting into a central bore III in the base II, the shaft previouslyhaving the disks 5 and I sleeved thereon. Although the disks 5 are shownin the drawing as having their apertures in alignment it will beunderstood that such alignment is not necessary and that the disks 5 areplaced at random on the shaft. The shaft I has an aperture therein andwhen it has been placed in the receptacle as above described thecompound 8 is poured through the hollow shaft I and port I2 into thereceptacle. Because the end disks 'I are without perforations thecompound is prevented from flowing into the perforations 6 with theresult that the perforations provide a plurality of air pockets withinthe roll. After removing the moulded roll from the receptacle 9 thehandles 3 are assembled on the shaft. 2

The contour of the frame which is to have imitation wood grainingapplied thereon is illustrated at I3 in Fig. 1, and its cross sectionalshape is illustrated in Fig. 2 as being convex in nature with respect tothe portion which is to be exposed after the frame has been assembled inan automobile. lIhe external sectional shape of the frame I3 isordinarilyright angular so that it may t the body structure of anautomobile. Heretofore, the method of graining the frames consisted inplacing the angular exterior portion I4 on a base and then passing theIgraining roll, previously inked from a master plate, over the convexinner surface, first to cover the inner surface designated A and thenthe'edge surface designated B, this being performed by at least twopasses of the roller. Where the two passes meet a dark line results andit has been necessary to touch out this line by hand. Furthermore, ithas been necessary to provide a helper to rotate the frame end over endon the base while the grainer is applying the graining roll to theframe.

In the present case the frame I3 is supported so that it revolves as aresult of contact of the graining roller therewith. The means for sosupporting the frame comprises a horizontally disposed inverted angleiron base I5 supported at its ends by two end standards IB havinginclined front edges I1 provided with a plurality of spaced apartnotches I8. A rod I9 has its opposite ends received in notches in theend standards I6 and co-operates with the base I5 in supporting a frameI3 in an angularly disposed position. With the frame angularly disposedin this manner the highest point of the convex surface of the frame isin alignment, substantially, with an imaginary line located intermediatethe two terminals or edges thereof. Therefore, when the graining roll isgrasped by the handles 3 and pressed downwardly into-firm engagementwith the convex surface of the frame, while the axis of the roll ismaintained substantially horizontal, the roll is deformed so that itcontacts with the entire width of the convex surface. Such contact isdue partly to the inclined position of the frame and also to the softcore in the graining roll which permits the required amount ofdeformation vof the roll without distorting the graining which istransferred from the roll to the frame. While maintaining the downwardlydirected pressure the operator moves the graining roll horizontally andas it traverses the' frame surface it causes end over end rotationthereof along the base I5. The entire width of the convex surface of theframe is grained in this manner by a single pass of the rollerthereover.

In order to prevent blurring of the graining at the starting point ofmovementof the graining roll a sheet of ordinary sand paper is firstplaced over the convex surface and the roll pressed into engagementtherewith. After the required pressure has been brought to bear on thegraining roll it is moved horizontally and rolls off the sandpaper toContact the surface of the frame. After the roll has passed off thesandpaper the latter falls from the frame and it has no furtherfunction. In this manner the roll may be main- -tained under a uniformpressure and moved at a uniform speed at all times while it is in actualcontact with the surface of the frame.

During movement of the roll in contact with the frame it is essentialthat it rotate freely, that is, its rotation must not be hindered in anymanner tending to cause it to drag. If such drag is present theresulting graining is blurred. With conventional lrolls wherein theoperator greases his hands `such drag cannot be entirely eliminated, butby employing anti-friction means in the handles as here contemplatedsuch tendency for the roll to drag is entirely eliminated.

It is apparent that the slots I8 in the inclined edges of the endstandards permit the rod I9 to be disposed in different spaced positionswith respect to the base I5. This is to accommodate frames of differentsizes. In all of the positions of the rod I9 the frames remain in thesame angular position.

Although a specific embodiment of the invention has been illustrated andvdescribed it will be understood that various changes may be made withinthe scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit ofthe invention, and

- such changes are contemplated.

What I claim isz- 1. The method of applying imitation Wood graincoloring to a body having a convex surface, which consists in providinga roll with imitation wood grain coloring, supporting said roll with itsaxis of rotation normal to an imaginary line bisecting said convexsurface intermediate the edges thereof, and moving said roll in thedirection of the length of said body While maintaining pressure thereonsuicient to deform the same whereby the surface of the roll contactswith the entire expanse of the convex surface.

2. The method of applying imitation wood grain coloring on a framehavinga convex cross sectional configuration wherein an imaginary radialwhich bisects the convex surface approximately intermediate the edgesthereof lies oblique to the plane of the frame, which consists insupporting said framein an inclined position Wherein said imaginary lineis substantially vertical,-

providing an elastic roll with imitation wood Cil aiaaaao iii graincoloring, and moving saidl roll in a direction at right angles to thedirection of the conveidty while maintaining the axis thereofsubstantially normal to said imaginary line and maintaining pressure onthe roll sufficient to deform the same to cause the surface of the rollto contact; with the convex surface over the entire expanse thereof.

3. The method of applying imitation Wood grain coloring on a framehavinga convex cross sectional conguration wherein an imaginary radial whichbisects the convex surface approximately intermediate the edges thereoflies oblique to the plane of the frame, which consists in supportingsaid frame in an inclined position wherein said imaginary line issubstantially vertical, providing an elastic roll with imitation Woodgrain coloring, moving said roll in a direction at right angles to thedirection of the convexity While maintaining the axis thereofsubstantially normal to said imaginary line and maintaining pressure onthe roll sumcient to deform the same to cause the surface of the roll tocontact with the convex surface over the entire expanse thereof. andcausing said frame to revolve end over end by the` pressure on said rollWl'ierelc7 the roll traverses the entire length of the trame. n

4. A supporting structure for supporting a Window frame to be decoratedcomprising a substantially horizontal 'il-shaped track along which theframe rolls on application of the decorating material, and a guidemember extending longitudinally of and spaced laterally and above saidtrack to guide the frame at a predetermined angle.

5. A. supporting structure for supporting a window frame to be appliedwith an imitation graining comprising, a single elongated track memberalong which the frame rolls on application of the graining material,supporting means for said track member, and guide means cooperable withsaid track member to support the frame at an angle during its travel andsupported by said supporting means.

CHARLES P. SHAW.

